Archive for pop culture

I swear, these belong to my sister (Beverly Hills 90210 collection)

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , on September 2, 2010 by Cardboard Icons

Way back when I was getting started in card collecting, my sister decided that she, too, wanted a piece of the hobby. Only she was not a baseball card kind of person. In fact, she once ripped a card in front of my face just to piss me off. Yeah, siblings are awesome!

Anyway, in 1991 she and my mother were addicted to the show Beverly Hills 90210. They watched it every week, and then one day when we went to the card shop — for baseball cards — they noticed Topps made cards for the show.  It was game on for them … well, my sister anyway.

Pack after pack was opened and after a while, my sister had a full set and she placed it in a binder and pretty much forgot about it. Me? Never. We moved quit a bit over the last 20 years or so, each of us living with our father, and then with our significant others. Now we’ve both got kids on the way.

But never did I forget about the Beverly Hills 90210 cards. In fact, I kept them … for a momentous occasion. I suppose that would be today, since it is Sept. 2, 2010.

In this 88 card and 11 sticker set, you’ll see the nonsense that was the early 1990s. The bright colors, the quaffed hair, the ridiculous poses. Can someone tell me why every picture of Brian Austin Green shows him by himself acting like a 12 year old, yet Jason Priestley and Luke Perry are displayed as gods? And what’s with the girls? One image of Tori Spelling looks like she is trying to seduce us.

So it is without further adieu that I bring to you the greatness that is the 1991 Topps Beverly Hills 90210 set.

Michael Jackson dies; I almost gave in to greed

Posted in Newspaperman, Uncategorized with tags , , , , , , , on June 25, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

109_0801In November I found this box of unopened Michael Jackson trading cards at a thrift store, and today with Michael’s passing, I almost gave into greed.

If you do a search on eBay right now for Michael Jackson items, you’ll see why I almost gave in. And truthfully, I did give in … for three whole minutes. Yes, I posted my box of cards for sale. But I quickly yanked the thing off eBay. Why? Because I felt like a fuckin’ asshole. It’s just not right to profit immediately on someone’s death like this.

I probably lost a good chunk of money by stopping my auction, but at least I feel better about myself. I’m not saying it’s wrong to sell items depicting someone whose died, but it’s defintely in poor taste to do so when his body is still warm.

Finished Rocky I-IV, should I even attempt V?

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 17, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

As noted earlier this week, I finally got around to watching the Rocky series. Over the last four days I’ve managed to plow through the first four movies in this series and now I’m contemplating whether or not I should start the fifth. I’ve watched Rocky get his ass kicked twice by Apollo Creed, only to fight back in the end and walk away with the title both times. I saw Rocky get pummeled by Thunderlips in some stupid exhibition of wrestler versus boxer; then watched Rocky get his jock handed to him by Clubber Lang, but of course he came back in the end to be the champion. And then five minutes ago I saw the most ridiculous crap ever — Rocky faced Ivan Drago, who killed Creed earlier in the film, and again walk away the victor. Now I knew he was going to win, after all this is a movie, but someone explain to me how the hell Rocky sustained LESS damage to his face after facing arguably the baddest of his enemies in this series of movies?

Anyhow, as you ponder that one, help me figure out if I should even delve into Rocky V. I’ve heard some suggest that this movie should have never been made, that it tarnished the series. Knowing what you know about V, will I be better off bypassing V and going straight to Rocky Balboa? Is there anything that I’ll be missing by doing so?

Does this look familiar? UPDATED!

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , , , on January 8, 2009 by Cardboard Icons

yahoo1Does this look familiar? The story about the Red Stockings 1869 Peck & Snyder baseball card found in Fresno, Calif., is making the rounds on the Internet this week, and this morning it hit the front page of Yahoo.  While you’re reading that story, probably for the first or second time, remember who brought that to you first.  I’m half kidding.

I’m excited for two big reasons today: My friend who wrote the story is getting published everywhere, and secondly,baseball cards are back in national headlines … and it does not involve a certain Derek Jeter card. Love the Internet.

UPDATE: Word is this story could be mentioned TONIGHT on the CBS Evening News With Katie Couric.

UPDATE 2: Now it looks like it could be Friday … something is in the works though.

Awesomely Bad Rap Scene From The 80s

Posted in Newspaperman with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 25, 2008 by Cardboard Icons

So as I was writing my short Joe Young piece this morning, my wife was watching television and stumbled upon a really bad movie from 1989 called “Teen Witch.” The movie was horrid, and she knew it. Hell, Comcast gave it ONE STAR. But she decided to check it out for a few moments. And because many movies from the ’80s are like crack, it was an instant addiction. I managed to avoid most of the movie, but there was one scene that got me out of the office and into the living room:

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